Prototype Mars Rover made by Airbus in conjunction with the European Space Agency, on display at New Scientist Live 2017
Airbus Defence and Space joined up with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the UK Space Agency (UKSA) to study how collaboration between humans and machines can make the exploration of the universe more efficient. The goal of the ESA programme known as Meteron (Multi-Purpose End-To-End Robotic Operation Network) is to understand and develop the technologies needed for future space exploration missions, and look at how humans and robotics can work together. In the future, remotely operated robots could help build habitats and generate power on the moon, laying the foundations for a sustainable human base. On Mars, they could explore hazardous areas and prime science locations before astronauts go there. “The Meteron programme is trying to address the end-to-end operations of various robotic platforms by humans, all through robotic systems that can actually take decisions by themselves” says Elie Allouis, a leader of the Airbus Defence and Space team and the co-principal investigator of the Meteron project. “To test various scenarios and to validate the related technologies, robots and rovers on Earth will be controlled from the International Space Station with haptic feedback and video footage.” As a part of Meteron, British ESA astronaut Tim Peake performed a challenging experiment last April. Whilst in orbit on the International Space Station, he controlled a robotic rover called Bridget, driving it across the Airbus Mars Yard in Stevenage, UK. The experiment was to investigate if an astronaut could drive a rover in a dark environment. In normal daylight conditions, the rovers currently under development in Stevenage have autonomous navigation; they can plot a route and drive themselves safely across the Martian surface. But in dark conditions, where battery life becomes an issue due to a lack of sunlight, having the rover controlled by an astronaut ensures that it can perform the maximum science and overcome unexpected obstacles more quickly.
Size: 3658px × 4093px
Location: ExCel, London, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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